Istanbul-based Ditas Shipping, a part of Turkey’s Koc conglomerate, has emerged as the buyer of the 2022-built, 14,000 dwt HZ Singapura, tabling $21.5m for the Chinese-built tanker. The ship has emerged under its new name, T Balat. The ship was sold by Singapore-based Asiad Enterprise.
Last year Ditas added an LR tanker for $50m, the 105,000 dwt, 2015-built Fos Athens, a ship that is has renamed T Kurucesme. This vessel has increased by some $5m in value if sold today. The Turk is one of many owners in the region whose fleet has rapidly increased in value since the war with Ukraine started.
The value of the Ditas fleet is estimated at $458m today, as compared to $282m at the same time last year. The company’s fleet consists of 16 tankers with an average age of nine years.
